Encouragement

I would like to quote Guernsey:
"At the start...the purpose of the speakers was to goad the listeners into wanting to read the book themselves. Once two members had read the book, they could argue, which was our great delight. We read books, talked books, argued over books" (51).

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a book club, started as a cover-up story, but became permanent when members started to enjoy their time together and socializing in what was such a devastating time. Although we are not currently in a restricting era like they were, I do hope that those you come to these meeting enjoy their time and hopefully will start reading the books I choose, or recommending books for us to read. Right now, every meeting I am encouraging those people to read these books, because they are good, but I hope that in the future they pick one up to read. Even if it is not the selected one for the month, it could be completely different, or from the previous meeting, but the point is to come together and discuss what kinds of things we like to read. The books I choose are simply to encourage.

Another quote that I enjoy the most is:
"That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment" (10).

I truly believe in this quote. It's what make up my bookshelf. It's what I'm here to do for you guys. I select a novel, if you enjoy it you'll move into that genre and/or follow the rest of my suggestions. This is truly what reading and book clubs are: picking and choosing.

Well, that's enough of my wisdom for the...however long....
I think this is the longest post I've ever done....pat on the back for Sararose. I hope I didn't bore you or lecture you too much.

Hope to see you in December. (It's really not that far off.)

December 5th Meeting!

Saturday, December 5th

2:00 pm

Big Borders

We will be talking about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

From Publishers Weekly:
The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer, Dawsey Adams, finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I'm about half way through this book and I completely agree with the review above! It's very intriguing but at times hard to figure out which letter is from whom; thankfully that information is provided at the beginning of each letter. Yes, the book is written in letter format, which makes for an easy read- so no one should be complaining!!

I would also like to take this time to thank a few people for showing up to the last meeting in October, where I encouraged them to read Howl's Moving Castle (see previous entries for more information on this novel.) So, Thank You to Jeremy Morton, his sister Danielle and their father, Sue Pircsh, Stephen Holding, and Sara Riley. It was nice having fellow students as well as adults show up. Thank you so much and I hope to you see you all there again! (I'm sorry if I've spelt your names wrong).